We have thought long and hard about a fitting tribute, and have decided on a 3.7% price rise from January 2014. Bill payers, as they receive their Spring statements, will remember where they were when they first heard the news of Mandela’s death, and reflect on the small additional price they will be paying in memory of his life’.

Reports from the 93rd birthday of former South African President Nelson Mandela say the event was marred by the veteran anti-apartheid campaigner complaining about the number of ‘blacks’ at the party and how South Africa had gone downhill since they ‘let all those darkies take over’.